Dancing Snowflakes
by Koizumi Mizuki
Summary: Christmas is almost there and Chiaki and Hatori decide to go on vacation to celebrate it together. One-shot!


**Someone requested a Domestica one-shot about Christmas or New Year, so here is one! :) It may not be Christmas yet, but merry Christmas to everyone who'll celebrate it.**

**This is the first time I've written about the Domestica couple, so I hope everyone is in-character etc. Feedback would be really nice, especially in this case ^^**

**Enjoy!**

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**Dancing Snowflakes**

"Come on Tori, hurry up!"

Hatori watched as Chiaki beckoned him energetically while pointing at a small shop on his right. He emitted a soft sigh and reluctantly approached his lover, unable to resist his happy mood. Glancing at the store window, Hatori realized that Chiaki wanted to visit a clothing store and furrowed his brows.

"Why would you want to go there?"

Chiaki's smile didn't falter. "I just want to buy some new clothes," he replied, "It won't take long; you can wait outside if you want."

A big frown decorated Hatori's face. They were on a Christmas trip together and Chiaki wanted to go shopping for clothes? Really, he didn't see why the other wanted to buy something so simple. If it had been some sort of souvenir, then it would have made more sense. Yet, Hatori didn't see any proper reason not to let Chiaki do as he pleased. After all, they were both supposed to enjoy their little vacation and the mangaka deserved it after finishing his work on time.

"All right," Hatori said, "Don't buy too much or you won't be able to carry it back to the inn."

"Okay!" With a big, sheepish smile, Chiaki walked into the store. Hatori watched him for a couple of seconds before averting his gaze. Snowflakes touched his skin, the cold making him shiver. Nevertheless, there was no reason to complain.

It had been a while since the couple had been on a trip together, mainly because Chiaki never managed to meet his deadlines and kept procrastinating. This was one of the few chances Hatori got to spend some time with his lover without having to worry about work. Although he came across as a workaholic, Hatori enjoyed having a vacation as well. Besides, it was just the two of them there.

Hatori smiled a bit as he remembered the day he told Chiaki about their trip. The mangaka had gotten all excited and was already making plans for their vacation. He also promised to finish his job early and much to Hatori's relief he kept this promise, giving them the chance to visit an onsen. It wasn't exactly an expensive trip, but it's the thought that counts.

The cold air played with Hatori's short hair and the scarf that was hanging loosely around his neck. Burying his hands into the pockets of his coat, Hatori traced the insides with his fingertips. When he felt the metal against his skin, he closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. It was still there.

"I'm back!" As Hatori looked up, he saw Chiaki with a wide smile on his face. "I told you it wouldn't take long. Let's go check out the rest of the city!"

"Do you want to spend the entire afternoon shopping?"

Chiaki shook his head and pouted. "Tori, you don't get it at all. The whole city has been decorated for Christmas. There are tons of beautiful things to see!"

Upon seeing the expression on the other's face, Hatori felt his heart swell a bit. It wasn't the only thing that made him happy; he also liked how much Chiaki's idea sounded like a sweet date. It was simple, of course, but there was still something strangely romantic about it.

"All right, let's go."

"Yay!" Chiaki exclaimed joyfully. He walked away, grinning like a child that has just been given a Christmas present. What he didn't know was that Hatori did have a present for him, but the editor wanted to wait for the proper moment to give it to him.

The two began strolling around the city together, walking through the crowded streets. There were plenty of other couples on a date there, clinging to each other and laughing happily as they enjoyed each other's company. Deep down, Hatori wished he could be the same way with Chiaki. It was such a shame that they couldn't express their love for each other openly without being judged by others.

Carefully, Hatori reached for Chiaki's hand and held it lightly, giving it a soft squeeze.

"W-what are you doing so suddenly?!" Chiaki asked, blushing from head to toe, "Don't do that out here!"

Hatori didn't speak, but looked at his lover and flashed a small smile. The sight caused Chiaki's face to redden even more. Admitting defeat, the mangaka looked away. Frankly, he liked holding hands with Hatori, especially since the latter's hands were very warm.

It didn't take long before the couple reached a plaza, where a big Christmas tree stood in the center. The tree was covered in snow, the lights shining in different bright colors. It was a merry sight and Chiaki had to admit he found it quite romantic. The thought flustered him.

"Tori, I want to get a Christmas cake," Chiaki said, trying to distract himself from the mood.

With a frown on his face, Hatori shook his head. "No, Yoshino. We've just had lunch."

"But I'm still hungry!"

Hatori pinched the other's cheek in irritation. "The answer is 'no'. We can get a Christmas cake at the inn, so just wait until we get back."

"You're so mean," Chiaki replied with a pout. When his eyes fell on a group of children making a snowman, the happiness returned. He pulled Hatori along to see more of the city.

Hours passed by quickly as the lovers enjoyed the beauty of the city. By the time they had seen everything, it was already evening and they had both gotten pretty hungry. Deciding it was about time to return to the inn, the two made their way back. As they walked through a tunnel that was decorated with Christmas lights, Chiaki gasped in amazement.

"It's so pretty!" he said with a big smile on his face.

"Yes, they've done a good job at giving everything a festive feel," Hatori said in agreement. All the while, he was still holding Chiaki's hand, but no one seemed to have noticed it since they were walking close to each other.

"Tori, this is a great vacation! We should definitely do this more often."

"We could if you managed to finish your work on time every once in a while."

"Hey, don't blame this on me!" Chiaki whined, trying to seem innocent in all this. Deep down, he knew that Hatori was right, but he often couldn't bring himself to work on his manga if he didn't feel like it. If it wasn't for his editor, Chiaki was sure that he could never get his work done.

Hatori deserved this vacation a lot more than he did.

"Yoshino, what's wrong?"

Chiaki looked up at Hatori, who was staring directly at him. The latter had probably noticed how quiet he was. "Say, what should we get for dinner tonight?" the mangaka asked quickly, avoiding his question. His reply seemed to have thrown Hatori off-guard.

"I…don't really care, but we will have a proper dinner and not something sweet like Christmas cake."

"Okay, but I want Christmas cake for dessert!"

A sigh came from Hatori's lips. "Yeah yeah. There's something else I'd like to do first." When he noticed the questioning look in Chiaki's eyes, he shook his head. "You'll find out when we get there," the editor said, "I'm not going to tell you what it is."

The pout on Chiaki's face caused Hatori to chuckle softly. Yet, he still refused to tell his lover about the surprise. It wouldn't take long before Chiaki would fine out, because the inn was already in sight. Excitedly, the mangaka ran towards the entrance of the inn, followed by his much calmer editor.

"Tori," Chiaki whined, "Come on, don't keep me waiting!"

As much as the hyperactive man could irritate him, Hatori found his lover incredibly cute. Perhaps his behavior was a bit childish at times, but that was simply a personality trait. Obediently, he followed Chiaki inside. Once there, the editor led his lover back to their room. He opened and shut the door and told Chiaki to take a seat.

Round blue eyes studied Hatori curiously and Chiaki was practically bouncing in his seat, desperate to find out what the surprise was. Since it was Christmas Eve, a night for lovers to unite and have a romantic time together, he was also embarrassed. Yet, Chiaki had always liked it when Hatori surprised him.

Hatori sat down across from Chiaki and fished the present out of his pocket, but he kept it in his hand to prevent his lover from discovering what it was. At the same time, Chiaki began digging into his bag.

"Yoshino, what are you doing?" Hatori asked in confusion.

Chiaki quickly glanced at him before a bright smile decorated his face. "I went to the store before to get you a Christmas present!"

"Why didn't you just say so? I didn't understand why you wanted to buy clothes."

"Well, it wouldn't have been a surprise if I told you I was going to buy you something," Chiaki replied, unable to stop smiling as he pulled out the article of clothing, "Merry Christmas, Tori. You mentioned a while ago that you needed a new jumper, so I thought it'd be a good gift."

It made Hatori happy beyond measure to know that Chiaki had remembered his words. For one, it made him feel loved and proved that the other cared about him. It also showed that Chiaki's personality hadn't changed that much since their childhood.

Accepting the gift, Hatori nodded at smiled back at his lover. "Thank you, Yoshino." Extending his arm, he opened his hand and showed his present to Chiaki. It was a small, round locket with a silver color, decorated by tiny, white snowflakes. Although it was very small, Chiaki was sure that it had been pretty expensive. He stared at the locket in awe and finally took it from Hatori's hands.

"It's pretty!" the mangaka exclaimed enthusiastically, "Thank you for the gift, Tori!"

"Open it." When Chiaki looked at his lover questioningly, Hatori realized he didn't understand. "There's something inside the pendant."

Curiosity grew as Hatori said this and the other quickly opened the locket. Chiaki's gaze fell on two pictures, a blush reddening his cheeks as he began to understand what the gift meant. The left picture was one of Hatori in his younger years and the right was one of himself as a teenager. It was nostalgic to see.

Suddenly, a warm feeling welled up in Chiaki's stomach. The pictures were both a sign of love and friendship, as they proved that Hatori had been by his side for so many years and still cared about him. It displayed the man's loyalty. A smile played on Chiaki's lips as he thought of this.

"Thank you, Tori," he exclaimed gratefully, "I love the gift!"

Looking genuinely pleased, Hatori leaned forward to steal a kiss. It was only short and very gentle, but Chiaki felt his heart flutter at the feeling. Once Hatori drew back, the mangaka's face was redder than a tomato.

"Merry Christmas, _Chiaki_."

"Y-yeah, you too." Stuttering his response, Chiaki felt a pair of arms wrap around his body and pull him to Hatori's chest. As he felt the warmth around him, he unintentionally nestled his face into the crook of his lover's neck. Through half-lidded eyes, he gazed out of the window and watched the dancing snowflakes outside.

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**Yes, a bit of fluff. I enjoy writing fluff so much xD**

**Thanks for reading and feel free to review!  
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